Spring-hinge



(ModeL) D. O. STOVER.

SPRING HINGE.

No. 391,434. Patented Oct. 28, 188 8.

I/VVEIVTO/P, 0mm ,6. 1% MM M6 Arm/mm" WITNESSES 'UNiTno ares ATFNT rric DANIEL O. STOVER, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

SPRING= HINGE.

EPECIPICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391.43%, dated October 23, 1 888.

Application filed February 20, I888. Serial No. 264,623. (Modem Ami.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL C. SToVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Free port, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful l'mprovementsin Spring-Hinges, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure l is a plan view of a hinge embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail View of a portion of the same just before the stop engages. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 00 m, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the ring or collar provided with a stop.

It is often desirable that some provision should be made whereby a door or other body swinging upon hinges shall be held open when it has been swung around to the full extent of its movement. To this end retaining-stops have been provided, fastened in some cases to the floor and in others to the side wall, which will hold the door open until they are disengaged.

My invention consists in placing this stop on a collar inserted in the hinge itself and making it a yielding stop by placing it under the pressure of a coiled spring mounted upon the hinge. It also consists in other improvements, which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out definitelyin the claims.

In the forms of my invention illustrated in the drawings, A A are the two leaves of the hinge, united in the usual manner by means of cars a a, one of which is provided with a pin, a", and the other with a corresponding eye-hole, a It is immaterial whether the pin a" be short or lengthened into the customary pintle. A ring or collar, 13, is inserted so as to bear against one of the cars a, and a coiled spring, 0, is also inserted, pressing at one end against the face of the ring B and at the other against one of the cars a. As shown in Fig. 1, the spring 0 is fastened at one end, 0, to one of the leaves A and at the other end, 0, to the collar B. The latter is provided with an inclined project-ion, b, which fits within a corresponding recess, o in the ear a. It is also provided with a projection, b, which bears against the leaf A, so that the radial tension of the spring,acting at opposite ends upon opposite leaves, operates to retain them in the position shown in Fig. 1. The collar 13 is also provided with an inclined projection or cam, b", and one of the leaves, A, is provided. with a corresponding notch or projection, a

In operation, when by opening the door the leaf A is swung around toward the leaf A, the projection a upon the leaf A strikes against the inclined face of the stop or cam If upon the ring B. As the door is swung still farther around,the axial tension of the spring 0 permits of the yielding of the stop o so that the projection a pressing it downward, rides over it, as shown in Fig. 2, when the axial tension of the spring 0 returns the collar B to place, and the stop b", bearing against the rear side of the projection or upon the leaf A, stops the return movement of the latter and holds the door open. When it is desired to close the door, a strong pull thereon, pressing upon the the collar B through the leaf A and stops a and 12 causes the inclined face of the projection b to ride downward within "the corresponding inclined recess a", compressing axially the spring 0 and bringing the collar B again to the position shown in Fig. 2, so that the stop I)" is disengaged from the leaf A, and the latter is returned to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, while the axial tension of the spring 0 again returns the collar B to place.

By placing the stop upon a collar inserted in the hinge a very important advantage is secured, inasmuch as it may be held in place by the pressure of the spring independent of any pressure exerted by the weight of the door, and consequently it may be operated without the necessity of raising the door upon itshinge to enable the stops to pass each other. Moreover, this enables the stops to be so located as to engage and hold the door in any required position, even to hold the door closed, when the door-casing would prevent any possible raising of the door upon its hinges,

Inthe employment in the various forms of my invention of a spring acting against a yielding collar with a stop upon the hinge it is immaterial, so far as this part of my invention is concerned, whether or not the spring performs the additional function of unfolding the leaves and closing the door by means of its radial tension, although I deem this twofold function of the spring in my in vention,as illustrated, as an additional and valuable improvement.

It is obvious that the spring 0 by its axial tension holds the stop I) in engagement with the projection (i and by its further compression permits of their disengagement, whether or not the spring is under radial tension, and whether or not the opposite end of the spring 0 is extended so as to bear against the leaf A, and whether or not the leaves are held together by the axial tension of the spring 0 against the cars a and a,and whatever be the relative posi ions of the cars a and a upon the leaves in either of the well-known and usual forms-- viz, with the ears upon one leaf both outside and upon the other leaf both inside, or with each leaf provided with one outside and one inside ear, and in both cases whether with or without the employment of a pintle.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, in which a ring or collar B is employed, it is obvious that it is immaterial whether the inclined or cam surface be between the projection b and the recess aflinto which it fits, or between the projections b and a wherethey engage upon the rear side of each. In either case a strong pull upon the door compresses the spring and effects a disengagement of the stops, enabling the door to be closed. Indeed, the collar 13 may be at tached to the ear a, or to one of the leaves, in any appropriate manner, provided itbe given a partial end play against the axial tension of the spring. It is also obvious that it is immaterial whether the upper face of the projection b is inclined, as shown in Fig. 1, or left level and extended around the ring B under the projection a so that the position shown in Fig. 2 is maintained at all times,except when the projection has passed the projection a when the two stops engage, as before described. These details are mentioned to indicate the essential feature of this portion of my invention as distinguished from that which isimmaterial and subject to almost endless variation.

It is now manifest that this essential feature consists in the provision upon a hinge of stops,

until overcome by the application of a force greater than its'tension. The essential elements are a yielding collar with a stop upon the hinge combined with a spring exerting its tension or pressure against the stop to resist its yielding, and this I regard as the gist of this part of my invention.

The hinge described is simple, compaot, and neat in appearance, comparatively inexpensivein manufacture, and desirablein use. The necessity of stops attached either to the floor or wall, always unsightly and inconvenient, is wholly obviated, while it will operate with cer tainty even in places where the construction and circumstances will not permit of the rising of the door upon its hinges as it swings open, so that the Weight ofthe door cannot be utilized in resisting the disengagement of the stops.

Having thus described my invention,what-I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a hinge, the combination,with the two leaves and their connecting-ears, of a yielding collar connected with one member of the hinge and arranged under the compression ofa spring and provided withastop which engages against the other member of the hingein any required position to retain it in that position,but which is disengaged by the application to'one member of the hinge ofa sufficient force to eii'ect the further compression of such spring, substantially as described.

2. In a hinge, the combination of theleaves A A, one of them provided with the recess a upon one of its ears,the collar B, provided with the projections b and b",and the spring 0, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

DANIEL O. STOVER.

\Vitnesses:

HARRY BITNER, JAMES I; NEFF. 

